Birth and death

Lynx mate in March. In May or early June, after a pregnancy of approximately 70 days, the female gives birth to between one and three kittens (four on rare occasions). The new born kittens weigh between 230-270 kg, and are hidden in small caves or cracks in the terrain, often in places that are less accessible. In the early stages after giving birth the mother leaves the kittens’ hiding place to go hunting. The female can easily be away from its kittens for 12-14 hours, and the prey that she catches is not brought back to the kittens. They mainly feed on their mother’s milk for the first 2 months, and remain at the natal lair during this period.

Mortality due to quota hunting has been given a lot of attention. Research results from recent years show that other causes have been significant as well. Besides quota hunting, the most common cause of death for radio marked lynx in Scandinavia is illegal hunting, but also traffic and sarcoptic mange (scabies) has killed a lot of lynx.